As a Composer:
Sandon Chevlin is a Jewish American composer primarily focused on wind band music, though their work spans a variety of ensembles. Influenced by early twentieth-century music and Jewish musical traditions, their compositions emphasize storytelling through structure, contrast, and orchestration. Their music is built on a structured approach to tension and release, using rhythmic contrast, harmonic development, and distinctive timbral combinations to shape musical narratives.
Sandon holds an M.M. in Music Composition from Florida Atlantic University, where they studied with Dr. Kevin Wilt, and a B.A. in Music from Rollins College, where they studied with Dr. Daniel Crozier and also minored in creative writing.
Their orchestral work Phantasmagoria was a finalist in ASCAP’s Morton Gould Young Composer Awards, and they were the recipient of Rollins College’s Ralph Lyman Baldwin Award for music composition. Sandon’s band music has been performed by the Rollins College Wind Ensemble and the Palm Beach State College Concert Band, among other ensembles. Their works have also been featured in master classes with John Harbison and Bruce Broughton, at the Central Florida Composer Symposia, and in various recitals and concerts.
As a Teacher:
In December 2020, Sandon Chevlin earned their Master of Arts in Teaching from Rollins College. Shortly after graduating, Sandon accepted a position as the Band Director at Washington Gifted and Talented Magnet Elementary School in Raleigh NC. In this role, they led a 50 student program made up third through fifth grade students through a semester of virtual instruction, which culminated in two full band virtual performance projects. They then spent a year as the band director at Creative Arts Academy of St. Lucie, followed by two years as the band director at Lake Worth Middle School. They now maintain an active private lesson studio with students ranging from 11 to 100 years old, and are a teaching artist in residence at a Waldorf School.
As an Instrumentalist:
Sandon Chevlin is a versatile multi-instrumentalist, performing on all clarinets, all saxophones, flute, bassoon, harmonica, and electric bass. At Rollins College, they played in the Orchestra, Wind Ensemble, Jazz Ensemble, and Flute Choir. At Florida Atlantic University, they performed as the saxophonist for the Orchestra and played contrabass clarinet in the Wind Ensemble.
Following their time at Rollins and FAU, Sandon performed as principal bassoonist and saxophonist with the Indian River Pops Orchestra during their 2021–2022 season and played bass clarinet with the Symphonic Band of the Palm Beaches for two seasons. They currently play alto saxophone with the Palm Beach State College Concert Band and serve as musician-in-residence at L’Dor Va Dor Synagogue, where they perform on a variety of woodwind instruments and electric bass.
An accomplished harmonica player for over 15 years, Sandon made their debut at the Florida Harmonica Championships in October 2018, where they received a rare standing ovation, and in August 2019, they won the 5th Annual Greater Southeastern Harmonica Championships Open Division.